Vanessa Fisher, a mother from Texas (United States) shared on her Facebook profile a picture of her baby four days after being born next to the placenta, to which she still remains attached through the umbilical cord. He explains that the benefits associated with the complete transfer of blood from the placenta to the baby have been reported until the cord is detached naturally, and with it the placenta.
It is what is known as birth lotus, which consists of let the placenta separate on its own from the baby days after delivery, no need to cut the cord. We explain what it is and if it is an innocuous practice or may pose a risk to the baby.
Nine days attached to the placenta
Vanessa gave birth at home and included in her Delivery Plan that the cord was not cut after birth. As he told Popsugar, "I was willing to embrace a very natural approach to this pregnancy and eliminating any unnecessary medical interference was important to me." He maintains that keeping the placenta attached causes a "more fluid transition" from the uterus to the real world.
After her baby was born, the midwife washed the placenta, inspected it, then dried it and placed it in a handmade bag for her cousin to store. It also placed sea salt and herbs to preserve it. After nine days the umbilical cord detached and the placenta was buried.
The placenta in pregnancy and childbirth
The placenta is a fundamental organ in pregnancy, since it constitutes the vital connection of the baby with the mother. Its name comes from Latin and means "flat cake". Its main mission is to transmit nutrients to the baby. At the time of delivery, the baby's umbilical cord is usually cut, also disconnecting it from the placenta.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that whenever possible, what is known as "late cord clamping", consisting of wait three minutes to cut the umbilical cord so that the newborn receives more blood from the placenta and thus there is less risk of anemia. WHO highlights the benefits of transferring blood from the placenta to the baby after birth until the cord stops beating, but doesn't mention anything about not cutting it.
What is done with the placenta after delivery? Most of the time it is discarded but there are parents who choose to keep it after childbirth to bury it or give it other uses. There are even those who opt for placentophagy, that is, to eat the placenta, although a review of studies found no data to show that there are benefits in doing so.
Assalammualaikum Proudly present our new members in the family Nadeem Karim Saam born on 30 March 2018 at 10.45 #lotusbirthbaby #adikadim
The placenta at birth lotus
In the birth lotus there are parents who go beyond and decide that your newborn remains attached to the placenta during the first days of life until it detaches itself. Normally this happens between the third and tenth day, the same time it takes to drop the piece of umbilical cord that is left in the baby when it is cut after delivery. With the difference that in the birth lotus, the baby, the cord and the placenta remain united.
During those days, you can keep (as this mother from Texas) in a bag specially made for this use, a container or simply leave it on the air on a cloth, always placed at the same level as the newborn. The baby is still accompanied by his placenta after birth, just as it was in the womb. The ritual also has an emotional component. Proponents of this practice consider that there is a loving union towards the placenta that must honor and respect its natural detachment, without forcing it with a deliberate and premature cut.
According to lotus birth experiences, the smell of the placenta intensifies from the third day, without being unpleasant, but it does not decompose while it is attached to the baby, nor is it necessary to take care of it with oils, spices or sea salt, which is used in occasions to accelerate the drying process.
The placenta dries naturally, as does the cord that also dries and becomes brittle until it comes off "clean" by the base of the navel.
The risks of childbirth lotus
From womb to world, she is empowered. On her 4th day, she and her first life force - her placenta - parted ways… We were so blessed to be able to have a natural birth at home, and honor Neya Luna with the Lotus Birth she wanted. Keeping her placenta attached was some extra work for us the first few days, but the benefits now & forever are unsurpassed. _____ {"Lotus Birth extends the birth time into the sacred days that follow and enables baby, mother and father and all family members to pause, reflect and engage in natures behavior. Lotus birth is a call to return to the rhythms of nature, to witness the natural order and to the experience of not doing, just being. -Lotus Birth by Rachana Shivam} #treeoflife #ahimsa #rainycitymidwifery
There are no studies on lotus delivery that show that keeping the baby attached to the placenta for a prolonged period has health benefits.
When this practice began to emerge a few years ago, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of the United Kingdom (RCOG) warned in a statement that there is no scientific evidence about the benefits of this method and that I considered it risky for the degradation of the placenta.
"If the placenta is left for a period of time after birth, there is a risk of infection that can consequently spread to the baby. The placenta is particularly prone to infections because it contains blood. Within a short time after birth, once the umbilical cord has stopped beating, the placenta has no circulation and is essentially dead tissue.
Therefore, if women opt for non-separation of the umbilical cord, the RCOG strongly recommends that their babies be carefully monitored for any signs of infection. "
